You Can't Erase My Emotions
by RabidRabbit97
Summary: You took the job offer at UA knowing that you would be helping the next generations of Heroes take their first fledgling steps into becoming Pros, but for you, your job would go much more beyond that. Rating for future content, love me a slow roast.
1. Chapter 1

Superhero name: Ethereal.

Quirk: Synesthesia (The psychic ability to sense and project emotions onto others)

You took the job offer at UA knowing that you would be helping the next generations of Heroes take their first fledgling steps into becoming Pros, but for you, your job would go much more beyond that. You would be the school's guidance counselor, a fitting position for someone such as yourself; but it wasn't solely because of your quirk, the Principal Nezu, added as he smiled warmly at you during your final interview. Your experience as a Pro hero as well as an Empath would be invaluable to them. The students would be more comfortable with someone like you without even realizing it and if they felt they couldn't go to their homeroom teachers for a problem, your door would always be open.

Being able to make a difference in the lives of these future heroes, or rather as you often corrected, these _young adults_ , made your heart feel lighter; you truly felt like this was the right place for you to be. It was easy to forget that these powerful youngsters were still in their teens, and having superpowers wouldn't make transitioning into high school any easier for them. The principal had been kind enough to offer you a formal introduction during the orientation ceremony on the first day of school, but you politely declined. If it were at all possible, you would prefer to make visits to the individual classrooms during the first week, "To make it seem more personal" you added, smiling softly. The mouse bear thought it over for a few moments, but was absolutely beaming in the end.

"A splendid idea!" he said, nodding in confirmation. "I trust your judgement. Do as you see fit, my dear. And welcome to our staff!" And now here you were, walking towards the first class of many on your list, Room 1-A, on your official first day as one of UA's personnel.

You felt a slight pang of nostalgia as you walked through the hallowed halls; as if it were for the first time in the years since you graduated. _Had four years really passed so quickly?_ It was a beautiful day, with sunshine pooling in from the large windows overhead, providing a comforting light as you were left to your thoughts. The hallways were strangely quiet, but you were still able to sense the faint buzz of excitement seeping through the walls. Before you knew it, you had reached your destination, and you tried your best to ignore the persistent knocking inside your chest. The clipboard in your hands felt a tad heavier than you remembered it being once you were in front of the enormous classroom door to Room 1-A. _Nerves, just nerves,_ you chided yourself mentally, taking a slow and steady breath to relax yourself. "Here goes nothing."

The way your Quirk works of kind of irritating on bad days. You're able to sense the emotions of everyone in the nearby vicinity and absorb them the way a dry towel soaks in water. Once you've absorbed too much however, the emotions flow freely out of you as energy whether you want it to or not. It's very seldom that that happens, you can handle quite a lot, and even tune it out when you have the strength, but it isn't easy. You should have known that this would happen, and you'd kick yourself for not realizing it earlier, but as soon as you had opened the door to the class, it was as if being hit by an invisible tidal wave of emotion and all you could do was stand there and smile stupidly as you forced your way inside. Did you miss something important or something?! Starting a first day shouldn't be _that_ bad!

"Oh, it's you," A familiar, yet dreary voice announced at the sound of the door shutting behind you, "Nezu said you would be here. Class, meet your new guidance counselor." _Way to steal my line, buddy._ You thought sourly. You could recognize Shouta Aizawa, or as he's more commonly known, Eraserhead, from a mile away. He hadn't changed much since you saw him last, with his dark hair strewn over his eyes and even darker clothes draped over his lean frame. Then there was his signature gray scarf, wrapped loosely over his shoulders, and if you remembered anything about him, he probably had a sleeping bag stashed away not far from his desk. You had worked with him a few times during your hero days and honestly, he always looked like he was running on his third all-nighter no matter what time of day it was. He was pleasant enough working with as a Hero, but you found it somewhat hard to wrap your head around the image of him as a teacher. _Never judge a book by its cover_ , you guess.

You scan your eyes over the class of students, watching their energies floating and flaring over their heads like tiny storm clouds. They were clearly rattled by something and you doubted it was because of your meager arrival. Skillfully, you focused your energy and sent a gentle, calming aura over the class, easing their spirits. Now it was your time to shine. "As your teacher said, class, I am your new guidance counselor for the year!" Your voice was full of enthusiasm and a confidence that would rival even All Might's, but it was just a bit you had been dying to try out since you had gotten the job. "And I'm here to let you all know that I'm here not just as a UA employee, but as your friend. My office is located in the wing right next to Recovery Girl's infirmary. Please don't hesitate to stop by and say hello." It was a sincere enough introduction, you mused, reaching into your purse and pulling out a small deck of cards. "Feel free to contact me whenever you like. These cards have my phone number and an email where you can reach me."

Quickly you used this time to segue and separate the deck into smaller stacks in your hands. You gave them to the front row of students to pass back, catching a few nervous glances from the young men when they happened to lock eyes with you. Yes, they were definitely still high schoolers at heart. It made you smile despite yourself.

"Uh, e-excuse me, ma'am?" Someone chimed timidly, raising their hand from the back of the class. You couldn't help but notice it was trembling slightly.

"Yes?" You replied cheerfully, smiling genuinely at the wild-haired student as they moved to stand up from their seat. Some might have described the boy as plain looking, but you found the specks of freckles dotting his cheeks and the friendly green eyes adorable beyond words.

"You're the hero Ethereal aren't you?" Well that one certainly took you off guard. You may have been a pro but you certainly weren't very popular, indie at best. Whoever this kid was, they were certainly doing their homework on heroes. You took note of his face and decided that whoever he was, you already liked him.

"Why yes I am! I'm flattered that you would recognize me!" The grin you had was ear to ear, it had been a while since someone had known who you were. Suddenly it was as if the student had set off a spark and now half the class was asking you how you had gotten the job and if you were still able to do hero work and if you were still single; it quickly got overwhelming and suddenly Aizawa was standing right beside you, reminding the class that they were going to have to ask real questions or let you leave, you had a busy schedule to keep after all.

With that being said, the ruckus died down just as quickly as it started. "Seven seconds, I'm impressed." You heard Aizawa mutter under his breath. You didn't have any idea in the slightest as to what he was talking about but it really wasn't your concern. Taking this as your cue, you turned to leave, he was right after all; you had about 20 other classes to see before the day was over. Then there was the meeting to go to afterwards before lunch, and you were hoping to meet All-Might in person at some point; your head was whirling. You opened the door to see yourself out and got halfway through before you remembered something.

"Mr. Aizawa, this is for you. I was told to give one to _everyone_." You stuck out a card between your fingers, locking eyes with the odd, disheveled man. If the encounter lasted all of ten seconds, time must have slowed to a standstill; it felt like it dragged along for an eternity.

"Thanks." He said flatly, his fingers brushing against yours for the briefest of instances, wordlessly shoving the card into his pocket without breaking eye contact.

"Right..." You replied meekly, trying your best to keep a straight face. "I'll just be going now." You said to no one in particular, and shut the door quietly behind you.

Authors Note: I found the lack of Eraserhead fanfics disturbing and i was struck with the urge to fix that. More to come very soon! Go easy on me though i haven't written a fic in literal years. Happy reading! With love, RR97


	2. Chapter 2

The classes following 1-A were a breeze as far as emotional strain went. The energy inside was alive and electric, sure, but nothing like the onslaught you had experienced earlier that morning. There's something special about that class, you thought to yourself. You could just feel it in your bones. You made a quick stop by your office to restock on more business cards; you only had so much room in your purse with the clipboard taking up so much space. The slight detour wouldn't throw you too far off schedule you had reasoned, and it would give you a chance to see if you had received any messages yet. It was almost lunch time, but if you played your cards right you should be back on track in time for the staff meeting.

You found your office without incident, the small plaque beside your window with your name on it reminding you that this was all real. It felt good, you were proud of yourself for coming this far. You fumbled through your pockets for your keys for a moment before unlocking the door and letting yourself inside. As soon as the door shut behind you, you audibly sighed in relief. But now wasn't the time to relax, not yet. Not wasting any more time then you had to, you moved behind your desk and grabbed the spare box of your business cards you had tucked neatly away in one of the drawers. No matter how many you printed, you'd soon discover, you'd always find yourself running out whenever you needed them most.

"Now to check that email…" You mumbled to yourself, resting your palm under your chin. Your jaw practically dropped in awe. Much to your surprise, you had already received over 30 emails from various student accounts, at a glance some of them were varying in font type, grammar, and a good amount even added emoticons to their headers. And you were only half done with your visits for the day. "Oh, geez…" You sighed; you would really have your work cut out for you, but you didn't take this job because it was easy, you reminded yourself. Plus it felt good to be needed; it validated the demand for your presence.

The day certainly didn't cease to surprise you. Several other classes had been able to identify you by your Hero name, and you quickly had to get used to reminding the students that you weren't there to talk about yourself. As you stepped out of another classroom of particularly enthusiastic students, you resisted the urge to speed-walk through the halls to make it in time for the meeting. You wouldn't be the only one starting their first year teaching.

All-Might, the living legend among heroes, was also beginning his teaching career at UA. You could understand why some people might not have known about you being hired in retrospect. It was kind of hard to stand out when the Big Man himself was also employed at the same time. Suddenly a switch went off in your head and you stopped in your tracks. That would mean he would be there at the meeting too! Excitement quickly flooded through you and put an extra pep in your step as you scurried over to the principal's office. You were able to shuffle in through the door just in the nick of time. Before you could even say hello to the other teachers inside, a proud, booming voice announced your arrival for you.

"AH! WELCOME ABOARD YOUNG (Y/N) IT'S SO NICE TO FINALLY MEET YOU! AND SO PUNCTUAL! JUST AS A HERO SHOULD BE!" What was it with men and stealing your lines? But it wasn't just any man you realized. It was _All-Might himself_. It went without saying that if anyone had a pass on line stealing, it would be him.

If the other teachers had heard your tiny squeak of acknowledgement they didn't take show it, but some kind souls offered a sympathetic glance in your direction or even waved from their seats. Of course you had been excited at first that All-Might would be at the meeting, who wouldn't be? But the gravity of the situation couldn't have picked a worse time to hit you.

He was bigger than you would have imagined and the poor business casual suit he was wearing looked like it was one teeny tiny muscle flex away from tearing to shreds before your very eyes. It felt strange seeing him in person and not on through a screen, yet here he was, flashing that award winning smile right at you. And as fate would have it, there was one empty seat left: right beside him.

If there was any moment where you wondered if the universe was truly conspiring against you, now was a prime example. It served you right for cutting it so close to the wire that there was only one seat left, but of all places? Maybe it was because he needed the extra elbow room…. But your feet weren't moving, and you were stuck like a deer in headlights with your fist still tightly gripping the door handle behind you.

It was all you could do to put on a winning smile of your own and ignore the burning sensation at the tips of your ears. _Why me?_ You couldn't help but lament mentally. You were always horrible with handling small talk, especially if it was with someone you'd idolized for almost a decade. "ALLOW ME!" All-Might said as you slowly drew closer, his volume never dropping in the slightest. Your feet felt like cinderblocks and your tongue like lead, but you were able to squeeze out what must have been a sound of gratitude as you finally took your seat.

"Now that everyone is here, we can begin the introductions!" The principal began, his small black eyes twinkling in delight, "Staff, welcome your new colleagues, All Might and (Y/N)!" _Shit,_ you realized grimly, digging your finger nails into your palms so hard it cracked the skin. The punches just kept coming. Thankfully All Might had already begun his introductory speech, but even his boisterous voice was drowned out in the thick blanket of misery you found yourself wrapped up in. You had been so busy with the student visits that you hadn't had time to rehearse what you would say at the meeting.

What if you said something stupid? What if they called you out for being inexperienced? Almost all the teachers there had at least five years seniority on you! Stupid! Stupid! Invisible tremors of anxiety rippled through your body and wracked your brain into a paranoid frenzy. _What do I do what do I do what do I do?_

Without thinking your eyes darted over to Principal Nezu, who was eyeing you with very keen interest from his seat. Maybe it was because of the large amount of trust you had placed in him or that he regarded you like an old friend, but whatever the reason was; he was miraculously able to calm your nerves. As an Empath you would owe him a great debt.

He gave you a reassuring nod that only you would see, as if to say "you can do this" and you were able to pull yourself together just as All Might finished monologuing. "It's a true honor to be here, if I can learn anything, it would be a pleasure to teach by my superiors." Short and simple: Nice. Maybe you overdid it with the amount of reverence in your tone but it was better to come off overly polite considering the circumstances. It would be a while before the shock that you were hired in the first place would die down. In fact you hadn't even told your parents you had even applied for the job. But you were here now, and you were determined to make the best of it.

The remainder of the meeting was spent discussing how you all could gauge the students were faring, even on the first day; paying particular attention to the first and third year students respectively. Only two years apart and the two groups were operating on completely different worlds from each other. Despite being heroes yourselves, every passing generation evolves and changes every day, with no two quirks being exactly the same. There was a lot of back and forth on the topic; a decent chunk was spent throwing out ideas to prepare the first year student for their combat training. "You would do well to learn from these kids," principal Nezu observed wisely, "they're stronger than we think." You nodded in agreement to his words, letting them sink in.

And just like that, you all were dismissed, free to mingle or return to your classes as you deemed appropriate. The atmosphere quickly turned on a more energetic note, and you were even approached by a few friendly teachers for lunch, sparing you the trouble of making the first move yourself. "If you want to grab a bite to eat, I'd be happy to join you!" Nemuri Kayama, or more famously, The R-Rated Hero Midnight, was the first teacher to offer.

Seeing her in person was certainly no disappointment either, she was every bit as alluring as she had appeared to be on TV, with long black hair and dangerous, icy blue eyes. She may have been wearing a simple work uniform but damn it was she _wearing_ it. Nothing short of a miracle could stop her curves in a skirt; and you couldn't help but feel the ugly head of jealousy rearing in the back of your mind. Lamely you wished you had even a tenth of her sex appeal.

You must have had "inadequate" written all over your face because the beautiful woman couldn't stop giggling at your bewildered expression while you were lost in thought. _Even her laugh is beautiful_... "You need to relax, new girl. I promise I don't bite... too much." Kayama teased, winking at you playfully. At that you were able to let out a weak chuckle; it was good to see your sense of humor was still intact, you joked to yourself. Several other teachers would be joining you as well, all of which you could identify by their hero names: Thirteen, Cementoss, Present Mic, and of course, All Might.

Content with the amount of people that had decided to become the unofficial welcome wagon, the group was deciding on what they should eat when you noticed Aizawa lurking in the back of the room near the door. He had been fairly silent during the first half of the meeting, but had a lot to say when it came to how the staff should go about preparing the first years for the realities of becoming Pro Heroes. The old grouch never so much as glanced in your direction the entire time, not that you cared. You must have been staring because it was seconds later that Present Mic was extending an invitation out across the room, at full volume.

" _Hey, Eraserhead!_ " You really wanted to curl into a ball and die, " _We're going to get some grub with the new guys! If you're done sulking over there by yourself would you care to joiiiiin usssss~?_ "

His frown, if at all possible, seemed to deepen at the unwanted attention. Aizawa didn't hesitate to reply with an answer that was all too characteristic. "Pass." He dismissed curtly, exiting the room without warning. You tried to ignore it, but you couldn't help but wonder if the cold shoulder was somehow your fault. Had you done something wrong?

"Well he's certainly a kill joy with legs if I ever saw one." Cementoss grumbled bitterly, his brows creasing with what you guessed was minor annoyance.

"I have a feeling he would have said no regardless of who asked." Kayama sighed dejectedly, before grabbing your hand and squeezing it firmly. "Come on then, let's go before our break is over! I'm starving!"


End file.
